DANSE MACABRE

Album review

Future Past not only revived Duran Duran's critical and commercial fortunes, it helped get the band inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, so when faced with the task of delivering a sequel, the group made the logical decision to have a laugh. Throwing aside any notion of sobriety or importance, Duran Duran instead dedicate themselves to conjuring the ideal soundtrack to a Halloween party. The "party" part of the equation is important. Danse Macabre may be filled with creepy sounds -- indeed, it opens with a revival of the band's early masterwork "Nightboat" -- but this isn't a belated excursion into goth, it's a collection of after-hours fun that flirts with high camp. At times, that flirtation is blatant, as when the group interpolates Rick James' funk classic as "Super Lonely Freak." Generally, Danse Macabre nimbly walks the line separating the spooky and the silly, opting for black-lit dance-pop instead of chilly atmosphere, balancing covers of Talking Heads and Siouxsie & the Banshees with songs by the Rolling Stones and disco legends Cerrone, adding a credible cover of Billie Eilish's "Bury a Friend" for good measure. Between these familiar songs lie a bunch of new ones, including the slow-burning "Secret Oktober 31st," which was written with original guitarist Andy Taylor, who plays throughout the record, marking his first recorded appearance with the group in roughly 20 years. This is a momentous occasion, but the charm of Danse Macabre lies in how Duran Duran seem unencumbered by expectations: they're lying back and having a good time, resulting in a record that captures their silly and serious sides in equal measure.

© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo